2012 Speculation (and confirmation) thread - rider schedules and parcours

[AussieGoddess]

Gilbert said in an interview after Lombardy that he regrets not doing the Vuelta as the guys who rode it did much better.

He said that next year the WC is a major goal, and with Lombardy the week after it, I am assuming he will do the Vuelta as prep for those .... so Tour and Vuelta would mean no Giro for him.

 

[El Pistolero]

LBL counts under "Ardennes"

Gilbert said in an interview in the mag "cyclesport" that since hes worn the Vuelta and Tour leaders jerseys he wants to complete the set with a pink one. He ranked it pretty highly on his goals, naming it after the world championships to the question, "what goals have you left to achieve"

But if hes doing Tour Vuelta, probably will leave Giro till 2013.

As long as the Worlds is favorable for him he won't ride the Giro.

 

[auscyclefan94]

Cadel and Contador early schedule and 1 day races

Cadel will probably go for Ardennes. WIll Contador do them? They both do Tirreno or maybe Cadel goes for Paris Nice. I wouldnt be surprised to see them both do Vuelta worlds after the Tour. Whether Contador will try to win some 1 day races or just go for Castille Leon and Pais Vasco is the main question.

Cadel will do Tirreno, pretty sure that has been confirmed, doubt he will do Paris Nice, hasn't done it for the past few years and I think he prefers the racing and parcours in the Italian Race.

We know Contador does Tirreno

Did Gilbert say that ? Just a few months ago he said he wouldnt bother with the Tour with the Liege stage being so flat, though they did change it.

Interesting with Cadel. I think he might do the Vuelta for 3 reasons

1 he was going to do it this year.
2 He is one of those noble characters who cares about cycling beyond the Tour, He would love a Vuelta win.
3 He did the Tour and the Vuelta - for gc when he won the worlds. So if he wants to go for worlds that might be a good way to get peak.

Cadel said on twitter that it is a maybe regarding la vuelta. Worlds is a big target for him next year and I personally don't care for the road cycling at the olympics so for selfish reasons I wouldn't mind him not doing the Olympics. Rest up for la vuelta, the worlds. The course will be good for him especially with the climbing in it with the Cauberg and Bemmelberg (?).

 

[auscyclefan94]

Evans is actually starting a few days earlier next year, doing Lugano before Friuli, MSB and T-A.

http://www.biciciclismo.com/cas/site/noticias-ficha.asp?id=44292

Hmmm, I don't see the point in doing Lugano tbh. Lugano is a week or so before those races and is so small that he may as well just start at Friuli.

 

[Tei6chai]

Hmmm, I don't see the point in doing Lugano tbh. Lugano is a week or so before those races and is so small that he may as well just start at Friuli.

Starting outside your own front door has its advantages.

 

[Netserk]

Jakob Fuglsang aims to peak twice in the spring next year. The first peak should be at Paris-Nice or Tirreno. The second one will be at the giro, where he will be leader for Radioshack-Trek. The first will depend on team coordination though..

 

[Ferminal]

Hmmm, I don't see the point in doing Lugano tbh. Lugano is a week or so before those races and is so small that he may as well just start at Friuli.

Appearance fee?

Meh, it's only up the road. Probably jealous that Basso won it.

 

[Libertine Seguros]

Hmmm, I don't see the point in doing Lugano tbh. Lugano is a week or so before those races and is so small that he may as well just start at Friuli.

But the Swiss connections of the BMC team and Evans' knowledge of the area probably makes it pretty logical. They probably are determined to have at least one of their big guns do the race and Evans fits the bill best.

 

[JRanton]

According to a Guardian cycling journalist, Geraint Thomas has confirmed he will ride the Giro and not the Tour next year before concentrating on the team pursuit in London.

Velo Nation has an article which implies that Froome will ride the Tour in support of Wiggins and will then lead the team at the Vuelta.

 

[The Hitch]

Would be great for Gerraint to ride the Giro,one of the best characters in cycling, but I dont see why. Hell want a stage from a break maybe, but in an olympic year, might be wiser not to fatigue oneself too much.

I mean hes got a very long career in front of him. The olympics are on home soil just this one year. After that hes got a good 8, 9 years to focus on classics, stages, week races, tts, a grand tour position maybe, anything he wants.

 

[hatcher]

A couple of weeks ago he said he'd miss the classics and the Tour, and do the Vuelta.

Would Giro-Olympics-Vuelta make any sort of sense?

 

[Matthijs]

As long as the Worlds is favorable for him he won't ride the Giro.

Does anybody know why he did Giro and WC Mendrisio in 2009?

I guess you mean Bemelerberg? I don't know which sides they want to claim, but I've been there many times because it's one of the best nature reserves...

 

[luckyboy]

Contador didn't mention going to Fleche next year did he?

 

[Forunculo]

Contador didn't mention going to Fleche next year did he?

Tirreno, Catalunya, Pais Vasco, Dauphine, Tour and Vuelta.

Dauphine is probably not a goal itself but prepare for Tour.

If he take all, he will be the UCI winner without doubt

 

[The Hitch]

Tirreno, Catalunya, Pais Vasco, Dauphine, Tour and Vuelta.

Dauphine is probably not a goal itself but prepare for Tour.

If he take all, he will be the UCI winner without doubt

Might even come first in cq finaly. Hes been runner up 4 years in a row.

And if Valverde owns those Spanish week races like he used to,+ adds some classics and a good gt placing, I wouldnt be surprised to see Contador finish 2nd for a 5th year running.

 

[Timmy-loves-Rabo]

PN suits contador more. But his presence will be interesting.

 

[greenedge]

Does anyone know what the Dauphinie course looks like. I think Andy should do that instead of Switzerland anyways. He will have to get something to take the place of ToC as well so he can get his long peak going. Klodi would be a much better choice at Switzerland ( more ITT km )

Wondering how Goss shall plan his season. With Cam Meyer at TDU there may not even be a point going there as he shall get some publicity. However he will be in good form for the Aus Nats and will then get a win hopefully at TDU and that attention might be even better just in terms of public awareness in Australia. He will then probably sustain that till M-SR and G-W, until going to the TDF. He could also maybe do the Vuelta for the fun of it, especially if GE get WT

 

[auscyclefan94]

Might even come first in cq finaly. Hes been runner up 4 years in a row.

And if Valverde owns those Spanish week races like he used to,+ adds some classics and a good gt placing, I wouldnt be surprised to see Contador finish 2nd for a 5th year running.

Because Valverde is going to come back and dominate straight away

 

[auscyclefan94]

Wondering how Goss shall plan his season. With Cam Meyer at TDU there may not even be a point going there as he shall get some publicity. However he will be in good form for the Aus Nats and will then get a win hopefully at TDU and that attention might be even better just in terms of public awareness in Australia. He will then probably sustain that till M-SR and G-W, until going to the TDF. He could also maybe do the Vuelta for the fun of it, especially if GE get WT

I think Goss will go to TDU. GreenEdge will want a big showing there so Goss for some stage wins and Meyer for the overall on Wilunga.

 

[theyoungest]

Does anyone know what the Dauphinie course looks like. I think Andy should do that instead of Switzerland anyways. He will have to get something to take the place of ToC as well so he can get his long peak going. Klodi would be a much better choice at Switzerland ( more ITT km )

Andy doesn't ride the Tour de Suisse to win it, it's just to get some race miles in before the Tour. His form works in mysterious ways, I don't think the Dauphiné fits into that dynamic.

I think Goss will go to TDU. GreenEdge will want a big showing there so Goss for some stage wins and Meyer for the overall on Wilunga.

I think Goss could hold on to the overall lead on Willunga, it's not the Mur de Huy or something. Meyer isn't really a good enough climber to create a race winning gap.

 

[roundabout]

15-20 seconds + bonus and then Goss would have to do very well in sprint stages

 

[auscyclefan94]

15-20 seconds + bonus and then Goss would have to do very well in sprint stages

In saying that, if a good climber doesn't lose time and goes to Down Under with decent form they could really take it away from the sprinters.

 

[The Hitch]

Andy doesn't ride the Tour de Suisse to win it, it's just to get some race miles in before the Tour. His form works in mysterious ways, I don't think the Dauphiné fits into that dynamic.

I always assumed Schlecks do the TDS because of their friendship with Cancellara.

 

[theyoungest]

15-20 seconds + bonus and then Goss would have to do very well in sprint stages

Yes, if there's a break like the Evans-Sanchez-Valverde one last year, Goss can forget it.

I always assumed Schlecks do the TDS because of their friendship with Cancellara.

Maybe, but most importantly it's one long training ride two weeks before the Tour.

 

[18-Valve. (pithy)]

Maybe, but most importantly it's one long training ride two weeks before the Tour.

I wonder how The Hog feels about that.